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MANDY'S LOST 
OPPORTUNITY 

A NEGRO MONOLOGUE 







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The Dramatic PuMishio^ Cony 



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Practical Instructions for 
Private Theatricals 

ByW. D. EMERSON 

Author of ''A Country Eomance, " "The Unknown Eival,'* 
"Humble Pie," etc. 



Price, 25 cents 



Here is a practical hand-took, describing in detail all the 
accessories, properties, scenes and apparatus necessary for an 
amateur production. In addition to the descriptions in words, 
everything is clearly shown in the numerous pictures, more 
than one hundred being inserted in the book. No such useful 
book has ever been offered to the amateur players of any 
country. 

CONTENTS 

Chapter T. Introductory Remarks. 

Chapter II. Stage, How to Make, etc. In drawing-rooms 
or parlors, with sliding or hinged doors. In a single large 
xoom. The Curtain; how to attach it, and raise it, etc. 

Chapter III. Arrangement of Scenery. How to hang it. 
Drapery, tormentors, wings, borders, drops. ■ 

Chapter IV. Box Scenes. Center door pieces, plain wings, 
door wings, return pieces, etc. 

Chapter V. How to Light the Stage. Oil, gas and electric 
light. Footlights, Sidelights, Eeflectors. How to darken the 
stage, etc. 

Chapter VI. Stage Effect-6. Wind, Eain, Thurder, Break- 
ing Glass, Falling Buildings, Snow, Water, Waves, Cascades, 
Passing Trains, Lightning, Chimes, Sound of Horses' Hoofs^ 
Shots. 

Chapter VII. Scene Painting. 

Chapter VIII. A Word to the Property Man. 

Chapter IX. To the Stage Manager. 

Chapter X. The Business Manager. 

Address Orders to 
\HE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY 

CHICAGO. ILLINOIS 



Mandy's Lost Opportunity 



A NEGRO MONOLOGUE 



BY 

MARY MOXCURE PARKER 



Copvrigbt, 1913, by The Dramatic Publishing Company 



CHICAGO 
THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY 






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THP96-006a55 



D 33403 



Mandy's Lost Opportunity 

A NEGRO MONOLOGUE 
By Mary ^Ioncure Parker 

I tell you, Liza Johnsing, ef you don' take 'vantage of 
chances you loses out in dis heah worl' jes as sho' as 
you live. 

I missed de chanst ob mail life wid ^Mose once. Me an ' 
de Lawd had him dead to rights — yes, honey, dead to 
rights — we had him skeered 'nuff to promise to wuk an' 
then mall sof feelin's got the better of me. I 'spose 
it's been so long since he done a lick dat hit seemed 
like takin' 'vantage of a hnhy or cripple or some other 
he'pless thing. You see it was de time when we done had 
'vival meetin 's in our chu 'ch, kasen ev 'body was skeered 
'bout de Comic. 

Mr. Halley got to messin' round' in de hevins wid 
dat Comic of his'n. Dat man's gwine to come to some 
bad end muxin' in de firmamun which is de Lawd's — 
He made it — an' any human pusson what tries to put 
Comics or any other truck up dar's gwine to git his 
fingers burnt some day. 

Dis heah worl's tryin' to git too smart wid Comics 
an' flyin' machines. De Lawd done sot mah feet down 
on dis heah earf an' I aint gwine to monkeydoodle 
'roun' tryin' to intimate a bird. Ef I'd been 'spected 
to fly, the wings would have growed out of mah should- 
ers, an' thank de good Marster fer dat blessin' dat dey 



4 MANDY'S LOST OPPORTUNITY 

don'. It would have been a good thing fer Mr. Halley 
to minded his own bizness, stid of skeerin' fokes outen 
dere senses. I used to wnk fer a woman onet wliat was 
full of other fokeses bizness. Ef dey had comp'ny 
nex' do', or was gwine to have a new baby, or bouglit 
new flannels, or had unbleached sheets — she knowed 
it all — de whole fambly hist'ry, by de washin' on de 
line. 

One day some new nabors moved in beside her, an' 
she spent most of her time cranin' her neck tryin' to 
see somethin'. "Dat man rides' round' in a taxi a good 
deal an' his w^ife has lots of clothes an' them chillen is 
fussed up awful 'spensive; I wonder what his bizness 
is. I jes' know he can't 'ford all that," she says to me 
one day. "AYell, Liza Johnsing," I says to her, "Don' 
know nothin' 'bout it — my bizness is washin' an' I spec' 
his bizness is mindin' his own bizness." Whopee she 
was mad ! But she owed me fer sev'ral weeks' wash an' 
she couldn't let out on me very well. 

Well, goin' back to mail story, I certainly was skeered 
mahsef ovah dat Comic. An' Mose — um-um-chile — fer 
de fus' time in yeahs dat nigger moved 'roun'. You 
know Mose is a pretty good chairholder. Well, one 
night when dey said w^e was goin' through de tail of de 
Comic, I was kin' of nervious mahse'f an' I set up all 
night. 

I didn't see nothin' — but Lawsy wiio should come put- 
terin' 'roun' but Mose — now you know, Liza, Mose 
would ruther sleep nex' to eatin' than nothin' in the 
worl'. He's jes like an old bar in winter time, an' ef 
he slep' more'n he usually do, he mought as well be 
layin' under a headstone in the seminary, wid one of 
them lyin' subscriptions on it tellin' what a good man 
he usen to be. 



MANDY'S LOST OPPORTUNITY 5 

Did you ever notice, Liza, what a queer thing it am, 
dat no matter how mean an' ramhuntious a man am — ■ 
dat when he's a corpse an' fokes walks up to the casket 
and looks at de remnants, dey alius busts out a ciwin' 
an' says, "What a Saint de worl' has los'." 

I knowed a woman onct what was so plum cussed dat 
ev'body jes' despised her an' when she died dey all 
sheddin' enuff tears to float a ship. Her husban' 
couldn't think of nuthin' good she ever done, but he 
stood wailin' an' moanin' an' wringin' his ban's — "Oh, 
Mandy, honey," he says to me, "I'm gwine to miss 
Cymbeline so — she suttingly was a good feeder." 

Well, I'm varigatin' from mah subjec'. As I done 
tole you I was settin' in de shadder a waitin' fer some 
sign from de sky, when Mose bumped into me. He 
didn't know I was dab an' Liza, honey, you nevah seen 
sech a skeered coon. He drapped on his knees — his 
teeth chatterin' like a squirrel's an' commenced to pray. 
"Oh Lawd hab mussy! I ain't done much of 
nothin'." 

"Git up heah, Mose Brown," I says. "Dab ain't no 
need to tell the Lawd dat. He knows you ain't done 
much of nothin' all yo' life— you lazy no-count nigger." 
But ]\Iose suttinly was skeered. He kep' right on his 
knees. "Oh Mandy, chile," he says, "I didn't know 
you, but pray fer me, honey. You alius went to chu'ch 
an' maybe de Lawd '11 listen to you. Can't nobody tell 
what '11 happen, honey. Maybe we'll git wedged in the 
Comic's tail an' den de earf can't turn ovah no mo. 
An' what den— no mo' day; jes' night an' darkness— 
Oh Lawd, my good Lawd, hab mussy!" 

Liza, his groanin's was awful— I got de creeps up an' 
down mah spine. "Hush, up, :\lose, hush up. I'll make 



6 MANDY'S LOST OPPORTUNITY 

you. some hot coffee an' brace you up.'' Mose ain't 
much, Liza, but he's all 1 got. 

"Oh Lawd, hab mussy on me," Mose groaned. 
"Mandy, honey, make dat coffee hot an' I'm so skeered— 
Hab mussy, Marster! Mandy, honey, maybt^ it's mah 
las' meal — gimme a little of dat chicken an' de cocoanut 
cake dat you brung from de 'Ception toclay. Oh liar- 
ster, hab mussy!" 

You know, Liza, I hepped at a 'Ception on Michigan 
Avenue dat day an' I brung home quite a lot of stuff'. 
Mose sat there with his teeth chatterin', but he man- 
aged to put away a good square meal 'tween his 
groanin's an' prayin's — an' cle res' ob de night he was 
groanin' kase he done et so much. 

Liza, honey, you oughter seen Mose de nex' Sunday, 
chile. I feel like bustin' my sides lafiin' ev'y time I 
thinks of it now — I was too skeered ovah de Comic then, 
to think of much else. 

Mose aint been to chu'ch fer 3^eahs, but de nex' Sun- 
day ef ]\Iister ]\Iose didn't dress hissef up in his bes' 
Sunclay-go-to-meetin ' an' go along with me to chu'ch. 
He set up jes' as straight as though he thought he could 
fool the Lawd into thinkin' he'd been thar eV'y Sunday 
an' to all de 'Vival meetin's. An' de sermon dat day — 
well de sermon was enuff to raise de wool right offen 
yo' head, Liza Johnsing — 'bout de las' days when dey 
was gwine to be wahs an' earf quakes an' de worl' was 
gwine to be darkened an' de moon changed to blood or 
maybe 'twas de sun, I don't know, honey. Mose was 
shakin' like he done had a chill. 

"Mandy, chile," he leaned ovah an' whispered, "ef 
de worl' should 1ms' up while we's in chu'ch, an' de 
Marster shouldu't reconnize me— ^will you tell him I'se 
yo' man an' dat I ain't been to chu'ch much fer yeahs 



MANDY'S LOST OPPORTUNITY 7 

kase I ain't hocn alile — had do misery in mah side fer 
all dem yealis — you jes' 'splaniiy to de Lawd, honey — 
you is so convincin', chile." 

Dat was de ehanst of mah life — to make dat nigger 
promise to wuk — but I was so confiscated 'bout dat 
Comic masef dat I jes' tole him to shet up an' hoi' 
mall ban' an' we'd bof go togedder. 

Mose even put his ha'f dollar he'd been savin' fer 
tobacco in de contribution box. 

No'm, Liza, Miss, I tell you dis heab Halley ought to 
be locked up — tryin' to skeer fokes outen dere senses 
wid his run mad Comic. Dab's a use fer de Moon an' 
a use fer de Sun an' the little stars looks nice when dey 
stays wbar dey b 'longs— 'ceptin' now and tben one gits 
kin' of combuntious an' goes shootin' off roun' de 
hevens — but there ain't no harm in dat — bat dese heah 
Comics is 'rangements of de Debbil an' de less we mixes 
up wid de Debbil's wuks de better it's gwine to ])e fer 
our own pussonalities. But, Liza, Miss, think of mah 
lost opportunity. 

I might have kep' IMose skeered 'nuff to wuk—an' 
now it's too late. He's jes' as fat an' lazy as evah— 
an' sassy — why he ain't any more skeered of the Lawd 
than nothin'. I li'lieve ef He'd come roun' Mose'd say, 
"Set down, Marster, an' have a talk with me." I cer- 
tain sho' missed mah opportunity. 



JUN 2 1913 

Joe Ruggles 

OR 

THE GIRL MINER 



A Comedy Drama in Font Acts 

By FRANK J. DEAN 

Price, 25 cents 

Nine male, three female characters. A vigorous, stirring play, 
depicting peculiar types of life in a large city and in the mining 
districts of tlie West. The parts of Joe Ruggles, the miner, Han? 
Von Bush (Dutch dialect), and Richard Hamilton, the scheming 
villain, all afford opportunity for clever work; while the part of 
Madge (soubrette), who afterwards assumes the character of Mai'k 
J.ynch, is an excellent one for a bright young actress. 

Scenery — City street, showing R. R. Station; rocky pass, with 
set cabins; a wood scene, and two plain interiors. Costumes of tha 
day. Time of playing, two and a half hours. 

SYNOPSIS OF EVENTS 

ACT I— Entrance to Railroad Station 

Looking for a victim — Joe Ruggles — "Them galoots is worse than 
grizzlies" — "Morning papers" — Madge and Bess plying their trades— 
"Can't you sing Joe a song?" — Hamilton and his pal confer — Tom 
Howarth gains inportant information — "Don't you dare to la> 
hands on us!" — Hamilton tries to maintain his authority — "Who'; 
Old Joe!" 

ACT II — Doomsday's Hotel, Dare-devil's Gulch, California 

The landlord secures a guest — Hans disappointed — "Dot is a mis- 
dake" — A ghost story — The "Kid and his sister" — "Did I hurt your 
highness?"— Hans and Doomsday have another talk — Kate Laurel 
meets the young miner — "Yah, dot vas vot 1 t'inks" — Madge's dis- 
guise penetrated — She recognizes an old enemy — "Now, George 
Smith, take your choice" — Joe Ruggles as a tramp — "Ef yer think 
yer can pick on me because I'm han'some ye'll find me ter hum" — ■ 
Hamilton appears — "Those two youngsters are mine" — The tramp 
takes a hand. 

ACT III — Wood Scene 

A lively ghost — Hamilton and Smith plan more villainy — Old Joe 
thinks of turning Detective — Kate Laurel again — "There is a secret 
connected with my life" — Kate's confession — "What do you mean, 
cir?" — Tom Howarth once more — "Vos you looking for a hotel?"— 
Planning an abduciion — Old Joe as an Irishman — "Phat does yez 
want wid me?" — Undertakes to be a detective — Takes a hand in 
the abduction — "Do it at your peril," 

ACT IV 

Hans hears, and tells, the latest news — "I nefer pelieved dot 
spook peesness" — Kate Laurel astonished — Hamilton attempts 
flight — "De poys haf got Mr. Hamilton, und dey vill gif him a 
necktie barty" — Arrest of Smith — "Get out mit my vay, I vas de 
United States Mail" — Tom meets his old friend under new circum- 
stances — "Do you want me, Tom?" — Old Joe gives consent — ^A 
happy ending. 

Address Orders to 

THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 



Hageman^s Make-Up Book 

By MAURICE HAGEMAN 

Price, 25 cents 

The importance of an effective make-up is becoming more appar- 
ent to the professional actor every year, but hitherto there lias been 
no book on the subject describing the modern methods and at the 
same time covering all branches of the art. This want has now 
been filled. Mr. Hageman has had an experience of twenty years 
as actor and stage-manager, and his well-known literary ability has 
enabled him to put the knowledge so gained into shape to be of 
use to others. The book is an encyclopedia of the art of making up. 
Every branch of the subject is exhaustively treated, and few ques- 
tions can be asked by professional or amateur that cannot be an- 
swered by this admirable hand-book. It is not only the best make- 
UD book ever published, but it is not likely to be superseded by 
any other. It is absolutely indispensable to every ambitious actor. 

CONTENTS 

Chapter I. General Remarks. 

Chauter II Grease-Paints, their origin, components and use. 

Chapter III. The Make-up Box. ^Crease-Paints. Mirrors Face 
Powder and Puff, Exora Cream, Rouge. Liquid Color Grenadine. 
Blue for the Eyelids, Brilliantine for the Hair. Nose Putty, Wig 
Paste Mascaro, Crape Hair, Spirit Gum. Scissors. Artists Stomps, 
Cold Cream, Cocoa Butter, Recipes for Cold Cream. 

Chapter IV. Preliminaries before Making up; the Straight Make- 
UD and how to remove it. ^ -r, t • ^ 

Chapter V. Remarks to Ladies. Liquid Creams, Rouge. Lips. 
Eyebrows, Evelashes, Character Roles, Jewelry, Removing Make-up. 

Chapter VL Juveniles. Straight Juvenile Make-up Society 
Men. Young Men in 111 Health, with Red Wigs, Rococo Make-up, 

^Oiapt^'viL A^d^ul^l; Mfddle Aged and Old Men Ordinary Type 
of Manhood, Lining Colors, Wrinkles, Rouge, Sickly and Healthy 
Old Age. Ruddy Complexions. ^ -c.* 

Chapter VIIL Comedy and Character Make-ups. Comedy Ef- 
fects, Wigs, Beards, Eyebrows. Noses. Lips, Pallor of Death. 

Chapter IX. The Human Features. The Mouth and Lips, the 
Eves and Eyelids, the Nose, the Chin, the Ear, the Teeth. 

Chapter X. Other Exposed Parts of the Human Anatoniy. 

Chapter XL Wigs, Beards, Moustaches, and Eyebrows. Choosing 
a Wig Powdering the Hair, Dimensions for WMgs, Wig Bands, Bald 
Wigs Ladies' Wigs, Beards on W^ire, on Gauze, Crape Hair, Wool, 
Beards for Tramps, Moustaches, Eyebrows. ^ • ^. -Kr^^ti. 

Chapter XIL Distinctive and Traditional Characteristics. North 
American Indians, New England Farmers, Hoosiers Southerners. 
Politicians Cowboys, Minors, Quakers, Tramps, Creoles. Mulattoes, 
Quadroons, Octoroons. Negroes, Soldiers during W ar. Soldiers dur- 
ing Peace Scouts, Pathfinders, Puritans, Early , Dutch Settleis, 
Englishmen, Scotchmen, Irishmen, Frenchmen, Italians, Spaniards, 
Portuguese. South Americans, Scandinavians, Germans, Hollanders. 
Hungarians, Gipsies. Russians, Turks, Arabs, Moors, Cafflrs Abys 
«inians Hindoos, Malays, Chinese, Japanese. Clowns and Statuary 
Hebrews, Drunkards, Lunatics, Idiots, Misers, Rogues. 

Address Orders to 
rHE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY 

CHICAGO. ILLINOIS 



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We can supply any play or book pub- 
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